Cops in Shops

Look at our results......

    
     Cops in Shops is a community partnership between local retailers and law enforcement designed to deter minors from attempting to purchase alcohol and to discourage adults from purchasing alcohol for minors.

     The Cops in Shops program is funded by a federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as administered through the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety - Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

     Undercover police officers are assigned to participating retail locations to apprehend those underage who attempt to purchase alcohol and those adults that purchase alcohol for minors.   

     The Cops in Shops Program has been implemented in 42 states nationwide and has proven to be an effective deterrent for alcohol abuse by minors.

     The Cops in Shops program is funded by a federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as administered through the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety - Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

     Every licensed liquor store in Fair Lawn is participating in the program. 
 

     Officers, posing as either employees of the retailer or customers, are stationed inside the retailer's premises to apprehend underage persons when they attempt to buy alcoholic beverages. The officers also have a secondary, educational role, which is to share their expertise with the retailer's employees on such subjects as false or fake IDs, the signs of intoxication, and the physical and behavioral characteristics of minors.

     The objective of the program is not just to apprehend underage buyers and hold them accountable for their acts. It is also to leave the retailer's employees with a better understanding of their legal responsibilities and with the knowledge necessary to fulfill them.

     Establishments participating in the Cops in Shops Program display signs on their front windows and refrigerator cases with the message "WARNING POLICE OFFICERS MAY BE POSING AS STORE EMPLOYEES." All Cops in Shops display materials are provided free-of-charge from The Century Council.   The Century Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing drunken driving and underage drinking problems throughout the United States. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Council was founded in 1991 by a small group of brewers, vintners, distillers and wholesalers. 

In March 2006, the Fair Lawn Police Department was awarded a Cops in Shops grant of $3,800.00.

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